Some Kind of Fairytale
by Cyberwing
Summary: Tenten, in order to avoid marriage, must now find a man to...WHAT? She's not that desparate is she? OMG! [TentenXNeji] [ch 7 up]
1. One Very Dark Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

HI! I'm starting a new Naruto series…and yes…I'm typing this at three am in the morning…

Anyway, this story is slightly AU. Most of the basic things are going to be the same as the Naruto series but there are a few changes.

1) There is tension between the Fire and the Wind country. A war might start soon between them.

2) Tenten lives in Konoha but **she'd never gone to the Ninja academy**, meaning she'd never met Lee, Neji, Gat-sensai, etc etc. This also means she can't really fight.

**Some Kind of Fairytale-Prelude**

In one of the small towns of the Fire Country (not Konoha)…

It was almost midnight.

_This should be the right room…_

Being a careful person, Tenten had already surveyed the hotel area…just in case she has to make a quick getaway. The hotel was like any other hotel. It was a two story building that was made out of wood. Her targeted room was at the second floor, she saw no lights. Therefore, Tenten just assumed that the inhabitant was asleep.

_Who wouldn't be?_

Except for her…

In the quietest and the fastest way possible, Tenten jumped through the window, entering the room. It was so dark that Tenten couldn't even see anything.

Oh well, the darker it was, the better. It made no difference to her. After all, the rooms in a hotel were pretty much standardized. Therefore, she knew where she was going.

Her destination?

The bed…

Tenten kneeled beside the bed. Feeling uneasily she swallowed before speaking in a quiet voice, "Hey…"

_The occupant of the bed gave no reply._

Is this guy a deep sleeper? Tenten wondered since he had his back facing her. This won't work, he has to be awake!

Feeling braver this time, Tenten tapped the man by his shoulder. "I…I needed your help…I'll…even pay you…" She placed a bag which was packed with coins on the bed. "All I ask of you is that you…I…um…we…we 'sleep' together for one night…"

_He remained silent._

Tenten narrowed her eyes, rage overwhelmed her embarrassment. Who the hell did he think he is? If it wasn't for the fact that time was running out for her…

Her father, being owner of the largest blacksmith corporation in Konoha, forced her to marry someone whom he wanted to form an alliance with. Producing the supply of weapons for Konoha was not enough; he wanted to expand his business even more. Especially during this time when a war was threatened to break out between the Leaf and the Sand, other countries might want to stock up their supply of weaponry.

Therefore, he wanted to bond with a trading company so that he could obtain more contracts from other countries as well. However, this would be a long term investment which meant it would be risky. As a result, her father wanted a stronger reinforcement on the deal besides just a paper contract…something like a marriage between the two companies.

She could deal with the fact that her marriage a chess piece for his business. She could also take the part where her father will be choosing her husband. After all, at these times, it was a common thing, rarely anyone was allowed to choose who to marry. It wasn't as if she was expecting that her father would give her an exception anyway.

However, she couldn't stand the fact that she'll be marrying a fat, bald man who was fifty years old!

She was only seventeen for god sake!

Therefore, telling her father that she'll be staying over at her friend, Sakura's place for the night, she snuck out of Konoha. Since she couldn't fight, she walked out of Konoha through the main door with proper the passes and stuff. It was stupid she knew…but she doubted that she would ever be able to outrun a group of Chuunin, Jounin, and possibly ANBU.

She'd thought of everything as she left Konoha behind:

1) Running away forever won't help since she didn't know how to fight properly while her father's men would be trained shinobis armed with weapons (probably provided by her father) as they hunt her down. They would find her soon once her father finds out that she'd left.

2) Telling her father that she was desperately in love with another man wouldn't help either. Her father would probably bribe, threaten or beat the hell out of the man if the man refused to leave her alone.

Don't get her wrong, her father was a good man, he wanted what was best for her. He'd probably considered that marrying his daughter into a rich and powerful family would be the best for she wouldn't have to do any labouring work. She loved her father but she didn't want to waste her life away with some old, fat, bald guy.

Which left her with choice number 3.

She had been sitting at the restaurant which was located at the first floor of the hotel which gave her full access to see who was entering or leaving the hotel. She sat there, ordering something to eat here and there so the owner of the place won't kick her out. The reason for her stay was to find someone…who could give her a 'reason' for not marrying.

For shinobis, they might not care much about virginity since they risk their lives for their missions. They had a carpe diem, enjoy your life while it lasted, type of moral. However, for others, especially those noblemen or businessmen, they wanted the woman whom they marry to be 'pure'.

And that was precisely why she chose choice number 3.

She was desperate but she was picky also. Her description of a candidate would be someone who was not bald, old, and fat….basically, anyone beside her future husband. He didn't have to be extremely handsome…but it would be extra bonus if he was. By the end of the day, she'd finally choose her candidate.

And now, she was here, in his room…and she must succeed!

"Hey," Tenten tabbed him once more, "at least give me some sort of a reply. It's rude you know."

When the man continued to ignore her, she changed her tactic. If asking him nicely won't work, well then she'll do it the rough way.

"Are you a man or not?" She demanded as she tried to grab his shoulder once more, determined to shake him until he says something. But before she could touch him, she found herself being grabbed by the shoulders.

Tenten gave a small cry in surprised as she felt that she was being twirled around. She landed on something soft (the mattress) as she felt the presence of someone hovering on top of her.

"Wh—"

He covered her mouth with his. Then he went on nibbling her neck as he began to unbutton her shirt. She tilted her head, giving him better assess as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His actions weren't exactly gentle but he wasn't rough either…

He _is_ good…but again…she didn't have anyone to compare him with…

Then she remembered the purpose of her being here…

"Hey, you." Tenten started, trying to ignore what he was doing to her body. "Remember that this is only a deal. Tomorrow we…"

_Go our separate ways…_

She was never able to finish her sentence for she had inhaled sharply.

Correction. He is _very_ good.

Not soon after…

"Hey what are you doing?"

The man, ignoring Tenten, carried on his 'exploration'.

"It hurts!"

Ignored.

"Ow! You suck! I'm taking half of my money back!"

And a one-sided conversation such as these continued for the rest of the night…

* * *

Review if you want me to continue this story ;p. Thank you for reading! 


	2. Wrong Decisions

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

Originally this story is an experiment, but now I'd decided that I'm going to give this story a try.

After thinking for some time, I'd finally decided that the pairing will be Tenten and Neji. In this story, I need the guy's side of the family to have a strong background, something like the Hyuuga or the Uchiha. At first, I'd considered pairing Tenten with Itachi for the hell of it but I decided not to. I…really am a shipper and I'm sorry Naruto fans.

Also, exam alert, meaning the update would be slow and close to none. I have exams for the whole month of April…(sigh).

Now on with the story…

**Some Kind of Fairytale-ch1**

Tenten slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times to adjust to the light that was in the room. Her head was swimming…

It was already morning; she could hear the birds chirping at a distance. The windows, which was made with paper and wood trimming (A/N, those ancient Chinese style ones), did nothing to prevent the bright sunlight from shining through...

Wait…morning?

She was supposed to get out of here before dawn.

Tenten groaned in frustration.

Not only was she behind her schedule, she felt like she got run over by a truck. Correction, she felt that she got ran over by a truck several times. However, since a vehicle as such had yet to be introduced by Mr. Kishimoto (probably because of time conflict). She would conclude what she was feeling in the following sentence:

She felt like shit.

Her body was sore like she had over-exercised. All parts of her body were bruised, she wanted to take a bath, desperately wanting to rid the smell of sweat, but she supposed that she have no time to do that. Sighing, Tenten rolled to her side and pushed herself up.

Realizing her naked state, she pulled the cover around her and grabbed her clothes which were discarded at the floor beside the bed. She got dressed as quick as possible and stood up. Still feeling sore all over her body, she stretched until she heard the satisfying 'pop'.

She looked around; everything was in the same place as before. The table was still in the middle of the room except now there were two bowls of rice along with a plate of salted fried fish and a plate of teriyaki beef on it. Walking toward the table, she found the food must have been freshly made since steam was still rising out of it. The smell of the food already made her mouth watered.

Her stomach rumbled. Tenten smiled embarrassingly, glad that there wasn't anybody in the room to hear that. She snapped the wooden chopsticks and started to eat. Even though she was hungry, she only took a few bites before stopping herself, fearing that 'the man' would come back soon. She was brave enough to say the things she did last night because it was dark. She didn't see the man's face throughout the whole 'process'. Seeing him right now would be…

Just wrong…she'll probably dig a hole and jump into it when that happens.

Tenten shivered. Now was not the time to think about that, she scolded herself.

She headed toward the window when something on the ground caught her eyes—it was her bag of coins. Without a second thought, she picked it up. She supposed that the man didn't need that. After all, she felt bad all over on the next day so she deserved a refund. But she'll be nice and pay for his lodging expense for the night.

Tenten opened the window, wanting to leave in the same way she entered, only to find that the ladder she'd used yesterday had already been removed. The percentage of her jumping down a second story building without dying was a hundred percent. However, that didn't take into the account that she would probably break both of her legs and if lucky, one of her arms.

Shaking her head, she walked toward the door. Slowly, she opened it, finding that the coast was clear, she exited. She closed the door quietly behind her, taking a deep breath she started to run. She turned at a corner and crashed right into a man who was carrying a large bowl of water. The warm water was spilled all over the man as well as on her. The bowl hit the ground with a loud 'bang'.

Recovering quickly, Tenten continued on.

"Sorry!" She called out to the person as she made her way down the hallway and down the stairs. Within no time she ran into the street, her mind working on trying to find a good place to hide. The thought of paying the fee for the man had already flew out of the window.

However, if she'd stopped to take a look at the man she'd crashed into she would've realized a few things. She would've seen that the man had long hair and a pair of unusual pale white eyes. She would notice the expression on the man's stoic face changed ever so slightly when he saw her. She would see how the man turned toward her and watched her until she disappeared to the floor below…

But she didn't.

* * *

"I'm totally disappointed in you Tenten!" Tenten's father, Osamu, screamed as he slammed his fist at the coffee table next to his seat. The tea cup which was on it fell to the ground and scattered into millions of pieces.

Tenten winced at the sound of her father's voice. Before she was even able to make it out of the small town, her father's men had her surrounded. Thus, she got her ass dragged back to the house, in Konoha.

Her house was a mansion since her father was wealthy. He shared his house with his brother, Ichiro, and he brought his wife, Junko, and three of his children, whose names were not worth mentioning, with him. Sadly, Tenten's mother had died a long time ago due to a sickness so there was no woman in charge of the household. Therefore, Junko decided that she would take that place instead. Uncle Ichiro was a humble man; however, his three children were not. Unlike her, they went to the Ninja Academy and would often laugh at her for her weakness. In return, she would pull all sorts of pranks on them. Sure, they were physically strong but she had the brains, plus, she had the ultimate defence—her father—backing her up.

If they were to tell her father about her pranks, then she would tell her father about what they did to her _first_. For her, finger-pointing was an easy task; making herself look like she was the victim was easier.

Also, there were three servants who kept the house clean and in order. One of them would be Miki, who had been her caretaker ever since she'd remembered. All of them lived at the far side of the mansion. A cook was also hired but he didn't live in the mansion.

Osamu had found out what happened last night. The moment when he saw Tenten, he realized immediately something had happen. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to his room. From then, he asked her straightforwardly and she told him everything.

"Why Tenten," her father asked her in a hurt tone. "Do you have no self-respect? You are my only daughter; I taught you about dignity and disgrace. How could you throw yourself at some man?"

"Because you are going to marry me to some bald old man." Tenten told him firmly, not backing down.

Osamu looked at her shocked; he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before reopening them. He had no idea that she'd found out…how much did she hear? Keeping his voice in control, he said as calmly as possible, "You could've spoken to me about"

"Would you have listened?" Tenten argued back. "All you cared about is your goddamn business—"

_Smack._

Her father slapped her.

Tenten bit her lower lip, trying to keep her tears that were threatening to come out at bay. She took a step back when her father stood up, reaching for her.

"I'm not mother, I'm not going to sit around helplessly and let you control my life!" Tenten yelled at him as she ran out of his room.

"Tenten!" She heard her father calling after her.

She opened the front door…

"If you step out of this house then don't ever think about coming back!"

She paused; her body froze because her father's harsh words. But then, anger clouded her mind.

Thinking back, Tenten realized how irrational she had been. All her life, she had been living inside a protective bubble which was created by her father. Her concept of the world weren't realistic at all. She didn't have to think about starvation or accommodation. She was able to wear nice comfortable warm clothes and buy all the things she wanted with the money that was given to her. When she comes home every day from school, she worried about nothing, because her father had taken care of everything.

No, she wasn't grateful toward her father at all. Years of acquisition made her believe those were things parents was suppose to provide for his or her children. She was…so naïve and stupid back then…

At that time, everything had happened so fast, her stubbornness caused her to make quick and wrong judgements. If she had taken a moment to cool down and think, to try to understand as to why her father had made that decision…then things might have turned out differently.

But she was only human…therefore she makes mistakes…

Tenten turned around and faced her father, saying two words that she would regret for the rest of her life…

"Goodbye _father._" She said coldly.

With that, she stepped through the door…

From then on, her life would never be the same again…

* * *

More action in the next chapter…I promise. Please review! It really motivates me into writing! ;p 


	3. Son meets Dad

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

I'm giving Tenten and her family a last name…it annoyed me to no end since there are times when I needed her last name and it's not there. Now her last name is Asakura (If Tenten does have a last name in the Naruto series please tell me. I tried to find it and it's just not there.)

First I planned to write what happens to Tenten during the time she left Konoha but I decided to let the past collide with the present. Therefore, what happened during that time will be explained in the latter part of the steory.

After not reading English for a month, I can feel my English slipping. It's really sad. I apologize if the grammar is really bad. Sorry for the late update, moving really takes a long time, getting the internet back up and working is even harder.

Does anyone listen to Mandarin songs? Currently, I'm obsessed with FIR's newest CD. My favourite song right now is 把愛放開 or "Let Love Go".

**Some Kind of Fairytale-ch2**

_Seven years later..._

"Mom, is Konoha beautiful?" A boy asked. On the outside, he looked like he was not much older than six years old. Currently, he was wearing a white shirt and short brown pants that reached his knees. His hands were wrapped around his backpack that was in front of him. His short black hair was spiked up to resemble a uni. What differentiated him from other boy would be his eyes for they are pale white.

If one looks at him, one would say that he is extremely good-looking despite his young age. He'll be a heartthrob later on when he grows up. However, right now, he was looking curiously at his mother as the horse they were riding on trotted on the path toward Konoha.

His mother, who was sitting behind the boy, pulled on the rein, manoeuvring the horse to avoid puddles that were caused by the heavy rainfall a few days earlier. She was wearing a pair of silver framed glasses. Her long black hair was tied up into a ponytail and was held into a bun by a large hairpin. She was wearing a baby blue blouse and a pair of black baggy pants. A large black trench coat that reached her knees prevented her top from getting dirty as the horse kicked dirt up as it trotted. A few packs were tied onto the horse behind her, dangling on its sides.

That woman is Asakura Tenten.

She pushed the frame of her glasses up as she pondered about the question.

She left Konoha after the argument with her father. It was easy to leave since she still had all the things with her from the last short trip. She walked toward the gate of Konoha that night, making sure that she was on one of the busiest streets so that people would see her as she passed. She wanted her father's men to be able to find gain information as to where she was heading so that the time it takes to find her would be shortened. She didn't really want to leave; it was a spur of a moment thing because she was so angry at that time. Her father had never hit her before. Usually when she did something wrong, he would look at her for a long time, scrutinizing her. Then he would ask her what she thing she did wrong. She would answer; he would nod if she answered correctly. From then on, she would just apologize and tell her father that she would not do the same thing again.

It was that simple.

There were times when she wouldn't say she was sorry because she believed that she was right. When that happens, her father and she would talk for some time. It wouldn't take too long before they come to an agreement. Then an arrangement would be made and things would just go on like they always do.

It was a matter of time before her father's men find her she believed.

She'd gone to the Wave Country. There was tension between the Fire and the Sand Country, she didn't want to be there when the situation between the two country turn hostile.

She waited.

And waited.

Nobody showed up.

By the time she wanted to go back, she found herself pregnant for two months.

At the beginning she made plans to go back. She was nostalgic. Things kept turning up and then she had no time to go to Konoha anymore.

Her plan was delayed for seven years. If an incident didn't come up, then she wouldn't even be heading back to Konoha right now.

"Mom! Mom!" Her son asked as he pulled her several times by the arm, shaking her out of her thoughts.

Tenten could only smile as she watched her son talk enthusiastically, waving his arms about. His beautiful white orbs seemed to sparkle as he asked her what he could do once he reached the village.

She couldn't stand it anymore.

"You are so cute." Tenten said as she held her son in a headlock. With her other hand, she rubbed her knuckles through his hair. She knew it would annoy her son to no end but he's just too adorable. She loved him so much. There were times when she thought she couldn't go on anymore, but when she saw his son, hope filled hear heart. She would continue on, no matter how difficult things are. Besides she could never be able to ruin her son's perfect hair. When his hair was short, it would somehow defy gravity and spike up no matter what she does.

"Mom." Her son pouted in protest. "I'm six years old."

Tenten tapped her son by his nose, "And I'm twenty-four."

Within no time, the pair found themselves standing in front of the large Western Gate of Konoha. Tenten got of the horse, Kentaro (her son) slid his left leg to the other side so both of his legs were on the same side. Tenten picked him up and placed him onto the ground when the gate opened. A group of ANBU walked passed her toward the entry, four of them in total. They had yet to take off their mask; therefore, Tenten had no idea who those people were. There was a woman with purple hair standing near the gate. Tenten assumed she was waiting for the ANBU as they came back from a mission.

They all stopped what they were doing when they saw Tenten's face.

Feeling uncomfortable, Tenten grabbed her son by the hand and pulled the rein of the horse as she entered the gate. It took almost all of her control to not pick up her son and run. The atmosphere was tense for her, since it was not everyday where the ANBUs were looking at you. It was impossible to tune out the feeling of dread that came with the stares, that was unless you were her son.

"Where are we going to go first mom?" Letting go of his mother's hand, Kentaro walked ahead of her, looking around the village he'd never been to before.

Despite the fact that Tenten wanted to call out to her son, she didn't. It was because she thought that she was just being paranoid. After all, it was the ANBU's job to protect the village, since she barely associates herself with shinobi, there is a great chance that they don't know her identity. That was probably the fact for their staring.

Satisfied with her own explanation, she allowed her son to get a few steps ahead of her. However, she was suddenly jerked back when the horse refused to move as there was a large muddy puddle in front of it. Turning around, she pulled onto the rein harder, urging the horse to move. When it did, she looked turn back to look at the front where her son was.

At least that should be the place where her son should be.

But he wasn't…

He disappeared.

Tenten froze. Her mind stopped thinking as she looked at the scene in front of her. She blinked, once…twice.

Her son was not in front of her anymore.

But people don't disappear into thin air.

Tenten forced herself to stay calm. She looked around, she saw three ANBU members and the same woman with purple hair. One of the ANBUs, who was wearing the mask of an owl, went missing. Her horse forgotten, she ran up to the group.

"Hey! What did your man do to my son!" She demanded as she grabbed one of the men by the collar. The man slowly took off his fox mask. He ignored Tenten's question, instead he turned to the woman with purple hair who was beside him.

The man had shiny blond hair, ocean blue eyes, and whiskers on his cheek, making him to resemble the fox that was on his mask. Right now, his eyes were widened to the point where Tenten wondered if they would pop out any time soon.

"Hinata-chan…I just saw the scariest thing in my life." He said, stunned. "I think I just saw an adult Neji picking up a mini version of himself and took off."

"Answer my question damn it!"

"I can already feel the goose bumps appearing on my arm." The man continued, looking like he was in a traumatized phrase. He covered his face with his hands. "Please tell me that there's not another Neji. I don't want another slave driver to ruin my life."

"Naruto-kun…" The woman started but was cut off by Tenten's angry yell.

Tenten shoved the blond man backwards. She wondered how the hell a man like him can make it to be an ANBU. He couldn't even answer her question! So much for listening skills!

Her son better be alright or she is going to raise hell!

She moved on to the next, only to realize that the rest group of ANBU had already taken off their masks. There was one with unbelievably thick eyebrows and a haircut that looked like he cut himself by putting a large bowl over his head and trimming his hair from there; the one standing next to him had red paint on his cheek and a large white dog with brown ears stood beside him.

Tenten approached the one with the dog, hoping that the dog had some hunting skills. "Where the hell is your team-mate?"

"Hey lady," The man said as he raised both of his hands, palms up. He stepped back a bit as she got closer. "How the hell would I know where he went? It's not as if he told me beforehand."

"Well you have a dog don't you?" Tenten said angrily as she placed both of her hands on her hips. "Use it!"

"Akamaru is not some damn detective dog. He's a…"

"I don't give…" Tenten was startled when someone grabbed her by the arm. Soon she was blinded by a light. Blinking several times, she found herself looking at the man earlier, the man with thick eyebrows and an upside-down bowl haircut. He was smiling at her, his legs slightly apart in a stance as he gave her a thumb-up.

It was his teeth that gave that blinding light earlier.

"Don't worry my…"

"Mom!"

Tenten jerked her head toward the direction of her son's voice. She was almost relieved to find her son healthy and unharmed.

Almost.

The ANBU that was gone earlier was back. The man got his arms wrapped around her son's body, lifting her son up.

Tenten ran toward the man, trying to pry her son away from him. Tenten tried harder as Kentaro wrapped his arms around her neck to give her a better leverage. However, the man held her son in a steel grip. She could pull harder but she didn't want to injure her son's waist in the process.

"Let him go damn it."

Tenten stumbled backwards and would've fallen if she wasn't able to hold her ground when the man let go of her son suddenly. She turned her attention to her son.

Kneeling down so that she was looking at her son face-to-face, she asked, "Did he do anything to you?"

"He took me flying mom." Kentaro answered excitedly. He was totally oblivious to the worry tone in his mother's voice. "We were even faster than birds!"

"Did he say anything?"

"He asked about my name and my age. We went so far…" Her son answered slowly before continue to speak quickly. "Then before I know it, we are back again. He's truly amazing!"

Tenten nodded.

"Damn Neji," Naruto slapped the man on the back, "who would've thought you can be so sneaky."

The man called Neji didn't answer; instead he slid his owl mask off. The man had long black hair that was tied loosely behind him. He had a Leaf forehead protector over the black headband which in turn covered his forehead. His white eyes were looking at her intensely.

…A Hyuuga…

Tenten almost forgot how to breathe. It was no wonder why everybody froze when they saw her and Kentaro. The resemblance between Neji and Kentaro was astounding despite their age difference. However, there was one thing to make sure...

"May 20, Kyoto Hotel."

Tenten shook her head in defeat; he'd answered her question already. What a scary guy.

Placing Kentaro on the ground, she held her son's hand. In a confident voice, Tenten said slowly, "Kentaro meet dad, Neji meet your son."

If Kentaro knew better, he would say that her mother was nervous for her hand was slightly shaking. But there was a question that he wanted to ask.

"Mom, does that mean I'm not a bastard anymore?"

"…"

"…"

She's going to have a chat with her dear _friend_ real soon.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please review because it really motivates me into continuing! 


	4. Problems

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

I'm so sick, I can no longer breathe with my nose and I can't stop coughing. I'm staying at home to isolate myself from the rest of the population. Living in a high density city suck, one person gets sick then a hundred more get sick because of that one person. It's so sad…I think I spread my sickness to my friends when we went out on the weekend. I feel so bad...one of my friends even has a fever…(sigh). I wish I have locked myself up in my room earlier…stupid disease…

**AmberFox and Lyell**: As to why nobody (eg. Lee, Naruto) has recognized Tenten is because she simply doesn't associate herself with shinobis during the time she was in Konoha. Plus, she doesn't go to the Academy. Therefore, the number of shinobi she knows is limited.

An analogy close to it would be people going to School A will have difficulty knowing everyone from School B. Naruto and Lee (and others) might have seen Tenten before but it's more like someone seeing strangers passing by as he or she walks down the street. One doesn't talk to the strangers and one doesn't remember them unless those strangers have some sort of distinctive features. Therefore, it's not like they don't recognize Tenten, but rather, they never knew her.

**Fantastical Queen Ebony Black**: When I read your comment I laughed my ass off. What a coincidence with the b-days, _Happy Late Birthday_!

**shedevilz**: As to why Kentaro was oblivious, it's because he's still a kid. He wasn't aware of the tension that Tenten was feeling with the ANBU situation.

**Some Kind of Fairytale-ch3**

Tenten really didn't care about the existence of Neji until now.

Seven years ago, what happened was purely coincidental. She was angry and she wasn't thinking clearly. What she did was stupid and wrong, she knew that already (she had gone past the 'must bang her head on something hard' phrase). What happened between Neji and her was simple. She gave the money and in exchange, she got her 'service'.

She was expecting it to be 'no string attach'.

Come to think about it, she thought that the man she chose had raven hair and onyx pupil. She saw him going into that room…she was sure because she saw him walking in and out. She had even checked several times outside just to make sure she wouldn't go into the wrong room. But when Kentaro was born, the moment she saw his eyes, she knew he was a Hyuuga. There was a time when she started hypothesizing the chance of each Hyuuga member being the father of her child (which is a large number of people). However, she stopped thinking about it after some time since who was Kentaro's father made no difference. Kentaro will always be her son and nobody will take him from her.

She would be lying if she had never thought of absorption. At that time, she hit rock bottom as each day past by, she felt as if nobody wanted her anymore. Her father had never come to look for her…It didn't take a genius to know that her father is still angry with her. The lucky part was that there were people who were willing to help her through the difficult nine month pregnancy stage.

The moment when she saw Kentaro…it was as if the emptiness in her heart disappeared. Instead, she felt she can love him for eternity, that she could do anything as long as he is by her side.

From then on, she never regretted the fact for having Kentaro.

Coming back to Konoha was a large risk. Hell, she knew that there was no way she could avoid meeting 'that man'. Her son stood out too much as a Hyuuga. Despite it all, she wasn't going to leave her son behind in the Wave Country. Therefore, she had gone though all sorts of scenarios in her head and thought of all the best ways she could react in different situations.

Tenten expected to be questioned by Neji. Since the Hyuuga is one of the most influential clan in Konoha, they cared about their reputation. Having a son out of wedlock is definitely not going to do any good to their name. Maybe she'll be yelled at and demanded by the man as to why she had separated him from his son for so long. That, or, he will deny having to do anything with Kentaro and tell her that he is already married.

In some twisted way, she was hoping that Kentaro would reject his 'father' and declare that he will only acknowledge her, Tenten, as his only parent. That way, she can use it as an excuse to not let the man see her son ever again (and keep Kentaro all to herself).

However, she would never have foreseen this.

All three of them and her horse were currently walking (peacefully) down the street of Konoha. Kentaro was looking curiously at his surrounding, since he had never seen this place before. He was holding onto Neji's hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, asking Neji all sorts of question like he expected 'his father' can answer all of them. Neji wasn't able to answer Kentaro's questions since her son jumped from one to the next immediately but he let Kentaro drag him around. Both of them were currently walking ahead of Tenten, who was left behind, pulling her horse along.

Looking at the father-and-son scene in front of her, she didn't know what she should feel. It seemed right to let her son reunite with his father…but at the same time...it seemed wrong because…her son might leave her…

She is a selfish woman…

"Turn left here." She called out when she saw Neji and Kentaro was able to go straight past the intersection. Even after all these years, she could still remember that if they continue going straight ahead, then they will reach the Hyuuga household.

She wasn't in the mood in being Gentle Fist into the underworld right now. (The Hyuugas would probably be in chaos and go on a killing spree if they receive the news about Kentaro and her.)

Neji gave her a look before complying.

Therefore, Tenten pointed them toward the house she had bought beforehand. The street they were walking on was one of the business sections within Konoha. Sounds of people gasping and screaming could be heard as they walked down the street. A few looked like they had a heart attack when they saw them. An old man stumbled backward and would've collapsed if he didn't hold onto wooden counter of a noodle shop. Tenten didn't know why people would act like that. She was sure that she checked herself in front of the mirror before arriving so she wasn't looking extremely horrific right now…Her son couldn't be the cause because he was so handsome and adorable. Therefore, it must be Neji.

What the hell did Neji do to cause this was something she would never know. However it doesn't matter because she had another important task at hand.

"By the way, I'm Tenten." She said as casually as possible. She sped up to walk along side with Neji. Not waiting for any reply, she continued, hoping that she is not going to regret it. "You are welcome to come around and take Kentaro out anytime you want but he has to be back at the house by ten o'clock because I want him in bed by eleven. Also, I want you to tell me before taking him, no more one of those take-my-son-without-notice-and-disappear-before-my-eyes shit. I'll kill you if you do that one more time."

When she got no reply, she turned toward the man.

Neji raised his eyebrow at her for a moment before nodding slowly.

Tenten rolled her eyes, "You can at least say yes."

If only she was a shinobi…she would've beaten the shit out of him. At least that way, he might say something like 'ow'. His lack of words was driving her crazy. She had to look, no, observe him carefully after she had said something to make sure she hadn't missed any of his facial expressions!

It was, to put it bluntly, downright annoying.

Tenten turned right at the corner; she was getting close to her own house now.

A loud bang shook her out of her thoughts. Turning toward the sound she noticed a large group of people had gathered at the entrance of another household.

The Asakura household.

The place where her father lives.

There is a reason why she would choose to live nearby here. In case that he is still angry with her, then he'll be seeing her A LOT in the neighbourhood. The Asakura Household was an old house; its history goes back to right back when.

The reason why Asakura wasn't as famous as Hyuuga was because Hyuuga is a powerful shinobi clan in a shinobi village while Asakura is a wealthy family that does commerce in a shinobi village.

Her father, who is a traditionalist, cannot move to any other places since he views himself as the guardian of the house. Therefore, as long as she held her ground, they will be seeing a lot of each other.

She will make up with him, whether he likes it or not.

In fact, this was the main reason why she is even in the village in the first place.

She handed Neji the rein and told him to watch her son as she ran toward the Asakura Household. She couldn't push past the people. People in front of her refused to budge. She jumped several times, trying to see over the ocean of people but all she could see were people she didn't know walked in and out of her house. Those who were exiting her house were loading furniture onto carts.

Is her father actually moving?

Did he hear the wind of her coming back? Does he hate her so much that he is willing to move out of the household?

But how would that explain why her father's servants were yelling and screaming at the furniture movers?

What is happening?

Cursing silently she went through her pockets, fishing for her old keys as she made her way to the back door. Her father's house was like any typical Japanese house. There is a stone wall surrounding the complex. There were two doorways, one would be the front door and the other would be the back door. Those two doors were locked most of the time, preventing unwanted intruders from entering. The house was situated in the middle of the complex with a garden surrounding it. There was a shack to the left of the back door where firewood and other stuff were kept.

Sliding the key into the lock, Tenten prayed her father hadn't changed the security device. She could not believe it when she heard the 'click'. She pushed the door open, not caring if people were entering the complex after her. She ran down the familiar pebble road toward the commotion.

She saw people walking in and out of the house, carrying expensive furniture and decoration toward the front door. Was the financial situation of her family worse than what she'd approximated? However, it is impossible; she had only been on the road for two weeks…

Tenten poked a hole into one of the shoji screens, peeking into the living room. The furniture movers saw her but they continued their work, acting as if they hadn't seen her at all. They probably think she is someone nosy.

The living room had a large rectangular wooden table at the center and cushions circling it. Therefore, the room was used for eating also. The entrance of the room was directly facing the front door so once a guest stepped through the front door and walk past the small front garden; he or she will be able to talk to the owner of the house—Osamu—in the meeting room right away. In other words, the room was a multi-purpose room.

She should only make her appearance known after she figured out what the situation is.

"Daimaru get off my property." Junko screamed at the top of her lungs as she tried to yank a blue vase away from one of the movers while failing miserably. "You might be the person who lend money to him but that doesn't mean you can just barge into this place demanding for money!

"But it's all in the contract." Daimaru chuckled. "Osamu's signature is on the paper. Want me to read the contract to you once more?"

Daimaru…that name sounded familiar to Tenten.

Sneaking a peek through the edge of the screen, Tenten saw her favourite man, the fat and bald bastard who she was supposed to marry seven years ago, standing in the middle of the living room. Junko was standing at near the door, trying to block movers from carrying items out of the room. Yet the movers pushed past her and headed toward the front door.

This was a public humiliation to the Asakura Family! With that many people outside watching what is taking place, the reputation of the company which her father had taken so long to build up is going down the drain.

Tenten turned back toward the fat man and watched as he pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve.

He cleared his throat in mock seriousness. "It stated here that Asakura Blacksmith Corp is responsible for paying back the money that I'd lend plus 20 percent interest."

"That doesn't mean the payment is due now" Junko exclaimed. "We haven't even finished constructing the…"

"I don't care." He laughed, the fat on his stomach wobbled during the process. "Osamu was so desperate to get money that he didn't care who he borrows from. His first fault would be choosing me as his business partner. Second, he's in such a hurry that he didn't even read the papers carefully before signing. He signed the contract and it said that I can get the money any time. If Osamu fails to pay the amount then I'll be able to take any asset that he has, that includes his company and the very property you are standing on."

"The Hokage…"

"The Hokage can't do shit about personal debts and you know that well. I asked for three billion dollars and you said you don't have the money. I'm taking Asakura Blacksmith Corp and everything that I can find here as compensation. I might not even be able to sell them with a good price. I'm being generous to not sue you. Nobody will be able to help you now that you are bound by the contract..."

"I'll pay for it." Tenten walked past Junko and entered the room. She silenced Junko with a glare when Junko was about to call out her name.

Tenten stood in front of Daimaru.

"You?" Daimaru said incredulously as he pointed at her. "Do you even know how much money Osamu owe me? You probably can't even afford to buy a small apartment. What do you think you can pay with?"

The fat man looked at her from top to bottom before turning back to her face. "Unless…"

He reached for her chin but she slapped his hand away.

Feeling embarrassed to be refused in front of a whole group of people, he shouted, "Get the hell out of my sight girl."

"Three billion dollars right?" Tenten asked casually as she brushed her bangs out of the way.

"What about it?"

Tenten shrugged, "give me fifteen minutes."

Daimaru burst out laughing right now like she'd said the funniest thing in the whole world.

"I need to go to the bank personally since it's a big amount. By that time I want all the things you took from this household to be placed back at their original spots." Tenten's tone remained serious. "If one thing is missing, I'll make sure that you'll think dying is a better opinion when I'm through with you."

Daimaru continued but his laugh didn't sound as confident as before.

"Laugh all you want." Tenten shrugged. "If you are so sure that I won't be able to pay the amount then no matter what I say, it shouldn't be able to bother you. Actually, maybe not putting things back to where they used to be is a better option since I'll have more fun that way."

Dumping her trench coat on the large wooden table that was situated in the middle of the room, Tenten exited the house through the back door. Nobody knew that to do with the sudden turn of event. Therefore, they did the most natural thing—they waited.

Junko, by all means, was doubtful that Tenten would be able to gather all the money within such a short time. Tenten looked and sounded confident that she would be able to pay the amount but how does she have that money in the first place? Junko looked at the coat that Tenten had left on the table and gasped. The trench coat made in a waterproof material, which cost a fortune since the material was newly invented. From the design of the coat, Junko recognized it immediately since she saw it once in a fashion magazine. The store that made the jacket was Niki, a famous brand for woman's wear. Not a lot of people are capable, nevertheless, willing to even purchase a scarf from that store!

What have Tenten been doing for the past seven years?

Most people wouldn't have three billion dollar. For a year, an ANBU makes about eighty thousand per year while a typical Jounin made about sixty thousand per year. Things were not expensive. One can rent an apartment for a year with twelve hundred.

Junko thought back to the large investment Osamu had made. He believed that Konoha had the potential to become a commercial city other than just a shinobi village. Therefore, he planned to build a Fisherman's Market. Since Konoha was nowhere near the coast, Osamu ordered his workers to create a large manmade lake. Also, the buildings that were built there were based on famous architects from around the world. For instance, he recreated the large amphitheatre of the Wind Country (in a smaller scale of course). It will be the place where many performances will take place. Osamu is an ambitious man; he wanted that place to have restaurants, hotels, casinos, and pubs. The Fisherman's Market was a place that is supposed to attract tourism.

However as the years went by, the project went more and more over budgeted. When Asakura Blacksmith Corp no long was able to support the expenditure, Osamu went around, hoping to find another potential investment partner…he found Daimaru instead. From the beginning, Daimaru said nothing about being Osamu's business partner; he stated clearly that he was just going to lend money to Osamu. With the building project being close to finish, Osamu had no other choice but to agree or he'll face a greater financial crisis…

Ichiro and Osamu were currently going around in Konoha, trying to find a potential buyer who would buy their newest (unfinished) building project. As each minute past by, Junko was beginning to lose hope. It wasn't as if she didn't believe in the skill of her husband or Osamu, but rather, she didn't believe that anyone will be willing to buy or take over the project. There weren't many companies that can rival the Asakura Blacksmith Corp in the first place. Especially at a time when the continuing tension between the Leaf and the Sand increased, no company would be willing to spend a large amount of money when people still believed that a war is about to happen.

On any other time, gathering three billion for the Asakura family is a difficult but not an impossible goal to reach. However, the Fisherman Market building project had taken almost all of the funding. Daimaru, of all people, should know that Osamu will not be able to pay the amount. Even so, Daimaru was persistent in getting his money in the quickest time as possible…like he was in desperate need of money or…

Then Junko noticed two people standing outside of the room, beside the door. One of them was a kid, about six or seven years old. He had short spiky hair. From his eyes, Junko could tell that he was a Hyuuga. When the boy saw her starring at him, he gave her a friendly smile in return. Funny, she didn't recall seeing him before which was rare because she was sure that she knew each and everyone of the Hyuuga member.

She knew the second person from first glance. He is Hyuuga Neji. People in Konoha knew about the Hyuugas, and the first name that would pop up in their minds would be Hyuuga Neji. The S-rank missions his team of ANBU and him had done were legendary. He was currently one of the top ANBU commanders.

She turned away quickly when she felt him looking back at her. Neji was not someone to be messed with. She wasn't even standing directly in front of him yet the atmosphere he was radiating sent chills up her spine.

Why there were two Hyuugas standing in this house right now was beyond her comprehension.

Junko was about to open her mouth to ask them when the front door exploded…literally. The furniture workers, who she had tried to block from leaving earlier, practically flew through the door way, hitting the gravel ground in the garden of the Asakura complex.

All this happened so fast that Junko didn't even have the time to register what was happening.

"Is Asakura Tenten here?"

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Like it? Hate it? Please review because it really motivate me into writing! 


	5. Rage

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

Sorry for the slow update. As most of you know, I'd just updated my other story (the ShikamaruXTemari one). It took me some time to get back into the NejiXTenten mode. Not to mention that I have a Hinata story that consumed most of my thoughts. I just had to type it out or it'll be lost. However, I'm not about to post it just yet, because if I do that, I'll have too much on my hands and it'll be, as Shikamaru like to say "just too troublesome". I hate to write like I'm pressured to, it kills the fun out of it. Maybe when I'm halfway through my stories then I'll post it or something.

PS. Ignore the grammar

**Some Kind of Fairytale-ch4**

"Is Asakura Tenten here?"

A woman, who was in her twenties, asked as she stepped through the front door.

She was wearing a short sleeved purple kimono that reaches to her knees. Her blond hair was tied up into four pigtails, two of which pointed upwards while the other two pointed down. There was a large metal fan strapped diagonally across her back.

A man, who was in his early twenties, followed her. He had long black hair which was tied into a ponytail. Because his hair was not long, the end of the hair spiked upward, causing his hairstyle to resemble something like a pineapple. He was wearing an olive green shirt and a pair of black pants. He had a small weapon pouch strapped onto his right thigh. He had a bored look on his face, like he didn't want to be here in the first place but was forced to. When he saw Neji, the two men nodded, acknowledging each other's presence. The man was holding a young girl up by his arms, in a hug. The young girl looked about four years old. She was wearing a white dress that almost reached her ankle. Her blond hair was braided; it was secured by a red ribbon which was matched by the red wool jacket she was wearing. The child was currently sleeping.

Junko would've considered the two adults as shinobis just by their appearance or the stride of their walk. However, neither of the man and woman had a forehead protector on them…

"Auntie Temari! Uncle Shikamaru!" Kentaro exclaimed, finally letting go of Neji's hand. Enthusiastically, he ran up to Shikamaru as the young girl stirred. She opened her eyes and when she saw Kentaro, she groaned. Shikamaru, finding the young girl was awake, quickly knelled down on one knee and let go of her.

"What now Kentaro?" The girl said in an irritated tone, putting her hands on her hips. "You woke me up."

"You weren't sleeping anyway Izumi." Kentaro argued back. "You just want to be carry by your dad so you don't have to walk."

The Izumi girl glared at Kentaro and didn't say anything.

"Stop flirting with my daughter." Temari interrupted the moment and smacked Kentaro at the back of the head. "So, where's your mother? I thought you guys came early to open the doors for us. We have a truckload of stuff in front of the house right now."

"I thought mom gave you a spare key." Kentaro said as he fished through the pockets of his pants.

"I do." Temari said as she gave a dismissive wave. "But since you guys aren't there, I got bored. Besides, whenever Tenten is, troubles always follow her. I can't miss out the action."

During the exchange, Shikamaru walked lazily toward Neji. When he saw the question look Neji was giving him regarding the door and the bunch of injured men who were groaning on the floor, he shrugged, saying that his wife tends to overdo things.

"Who the hell blew up the front door?" Tenten, who was followed by a man in his mid-thirties, asked as they entered the front door. She rolled her eyes when she saw Temari, muttering something about she should've known. She approached Daimaru. Dumping the suitcase that she was holding on a table in front of him, she unlocked it and threw the suitcase open.

"Here's the three billion dollar that you wanted." Tenten said.

"What the bloody hell?" Temari cursed silently when she heard the amount Tenten is going to give to that fat guy in the room. Izumi and she looked at Kentaro for an explanation.

The boy sighed, knowing that if he doesn't answer he'll feel the wrath of the two women/ girl in front of him. "He's Daimaru."

Temari and Izumi's mouth formed an 'O', an expression to show that they had a grasp as to what is going on.

Tenten slapped away Daimaru's hand when he was about to touch the cash. "Not so fast."

Tenten gave a wave, motioning the man who had followed her before to come up. She pointed at the man, "he's a lawyer in Konoha. He will act as the witness during the signing of the contract. The contract states that Osamu, the owner of the Asakura Blacksmith Corp, has fulfilled his part of the contract by repaying you three billion dollars. The three billion included the money which Osamu had borrowed from you plus the interest. From now on, Osamu and Asakura Blacksmith Corp will owe you, Daimaru, nothing."

"How do I know that you'll give me the money once I sign the contract?" The fat jerk questioned.

"Well," Tenten spoke with a tone that sounded like she was talking to a mentally retarded. "You see that Hyuuga over there?" She pointed at Neji. "He's a witness too. If one side of the party flips out, he's going to kick the person's ass hard."

Neji once again raised a questionable eyebrow; he looked at Shikamaru.

_At the side, the lazy pineapple head simply sighed, muttering how troublesome women are._

"I really don't see why you are hesitating for, unless…" Tenten dragged on the last word, giving him a suspicious look. "You wanted to engulf Asakura Blacksmith Corp."

As if Tenten had hit the mark, Daimaru quickly cleared his throat and took out his pen. Looking at the contract over to make sure Tenten wasn't doing anything funny; he signed his name at the bottom of the two documents. (A/N: There are two copies of the same contract that needs to be sign by both so that they each can get a copy)

Tenten signed them without a second glance.

The lawyer looked at the contracts. He nodded at Tenten as he handed both party one copy of the document.

Smiling, Daimaru grabbed the briefcase right away. He could almost be described as running toward the front door.

"Hold on." Tenten called out to the eager man. "I see that you haven't returned the stuff you took from this household yet. That won't do." Tenten said, making 'tsk tsk' sound as she shook her forefinger. "Asakura no longer owe you anything yet you explicitly take things. That's stealing right there. I'm going to have to call the Konoha Police for this."

"You were only gone for such a short period of time. I wasn't able to…" Daimaru began but Tenten cut him off.

"Time?" Tenten said incredulously. "You and I are businessmen. Time is money. Did you wait when you started ordering your workers that were stationed outside to take the properties of Asakura?"

Tenten took a seat on one of the cushions around the table while one of the servants served her a cup of green tea. She ignored Daimaru's protest and took a sip from the cup slowly. In her mind, she went through all the things she could use to torture Daimaru with. After all, he was the main reason why she had left her Konoha and her father for such a long time.

Now, he even dared to trick her father.

**He is a dead man walking.**

"Daimaru," Tenten said in her sweetest voice. "It also come to my attention that you have just married your forth wife a year ago."

"Yes…what about it?"

"Well," Tenten started. "For one thing, you went to the Wave Country for your honeymoon, am I correct?"

Daimaru looked at her for a moment before nodding slowly.

"And during that time," Tenten continued, the corner of her lips started to curve upward. "You spend quite a lot of money there…particularly at the Katsu Casino. You also told the clerks of Yuki's Jewellery Shop and other similar shops that your wife can buy whatever she wants there and the bills go under your name, correct?"

"You are wasting my time. This has nothing to do with you." Daimaru snapped, if it weren't for the fact that she has the power to send him straight to jail, he would've already left.

"Actually, this has everything to do with me." Tenten argued back. "I'm sure that you have heard of a company called Hotaru."

Daimaru froze.

Of course he had heard of that company. It had been the main topic of discussion in the business world. Hotaru had only been established for six years but it had become one of the most influential companies in the world. Invested in different restaurants, casinos, clothing stores and jewellery shops, its sole existence supported thousands of families residing the Wave Country. In fact, Hotaru was the reason why the Wave Country is able to get out of its economic depression so quickly.

However, other people often thought that the owner of Hotaru is insane. Sure, there was a bridge that connected the Wave Country to the rest of the inland continents. But who would want to invest at a place where everything in it resembles a developing country, where most part of the city lacked clean water supply and people there lived in starvation and poverty?

Apparently, the owner had a better eye than everyone else.

The mayor of the city, Tazuna, might have contributed to Hotaru's quick large expansions and successes. The mayor was and is still willing to give a lot of leeway for the company…probably because the mayor desperately wanted to help the people there…and to prevent angry riots from happening.

Daimaru looked at Tenten for a moment, what does she have to do with Daimaru?

His question was answered by what Tenten has to say next.

"I'm one of the owners of Hotaru." Tenten's smile grew wider. "your payment is, I have to say, quite overdue."

"I paid it already!"

"Yes, the amount _you owed _at Katsu was paid. However, the stuff which _your wife_ had purchased under your name…"

Daimaru swallowed as sweat began to form on his brows. "How much do I owe?"

"Not a lot really." Tenten answered casually, taking another sip at her tea. "_if you paid half a year ago_."

Slowly, the owner of Hotaru did a few hand seals. A small scroll that have the letter 'D' written on it appeared with a 'poof'.

Unravelling it, everyone watched as she went through the scroll. "It's not a lot, only four billion dollars."

"FOUR FUCKING BILLION DOLLARS?" Daimaru exclaimed. He knew that he was in a financial crisis but four billion dollar from Hotaru alone was just too much for him to pay. Not to mention the fact that there were other companies he owed money to because he had made several wrong investment decisions. He had gone all over the place, trying to collect the amount that was needed and failing to do so until he met Osamu. All he got now was…Daimaru eyed the briefcase of cash.

He grabbed it and ran toward the front door.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Tenten spoke with a serious tone. "You don't want me to send my men after you."

"I have to find…" Daimaru said weakly.

"You can't find your wife." Tenten cut him off. "If you could, you would've found her already when she left with a man exactly three months after the honeymoon."

"How…how…unless…" Daimaru pointed accusingly at her. "You!"

"I have people reporting to me." Tenten stated. "I have nothing to do your predicament. If you should be angry with anyone, it should be your wife and yourself. Your wife for cheating you and yourself for being so stupid, allowing your wife to buy whatever she wanted without questioning it."

"However," Tenten said slowly. "I understand that your situation so I'm willing to give you some leeway. If you complete a task that I give you plus handing the three billion dollar you have in your hands back to me, then I'll just take a percentage of profit from your company every month until you pay back the one billion you owed."

Daimaru sighed as he placed the briefcase back onto the table in front of Tenten. "What task."

"Seven years ago, my father arranged a marriage between me and you." Tenten narrowed her eyes at the fat man before her. "I'm calling it off permanently."

"No way!" Daimaru protested loudly. He was able to gain a lot of advantage from Osamu because Osamu felt guilty for his daughter's departure. Also, he disagreed not because he is in love with the bitch before him, but rather, she was one of the owners of Hotaru! She is rich! If he marries her, then her money and Hotaru will automatically become his! Thinking of the possibilities of being able to pay back his debt immediately, Daimaru was more than determined to marry her.

At the back, Temari burst out laughing like she had said the funniest thing in the world. Looking at his auntie, Kentaro rolled his eyes.

Neji, on the other hand, remained emotionless.

Tenten shrugged. "Well, there's the other way…"

The truth is, Hotaru doesn't make a lot of money with just doing simple buying and selling interactions. A big chunk of profit comes from people not paying their imbursement and Hotaru charging interest at those people.

Tenten carefully explained that she had all the legal rights to take all his property (including his company), just like what he had done to her father half an hour before, also reminding him that he has to take legal and monetary responsibility for the loss of the things in the Asakura Household.

She thought that a man like Daimaru would choose choice number 1. After all, there wasn't that many times when she was actually so lenient.

_However, he chose choice number 3._

Daimaru pulled Tenten up from her spot. Facing her, he took a kurai and held it just a hair away from her neck.

"Stay back!" The fat man yelled as the rest of the people in the room went tense.

"You know." Tenten said calmly, in a tone like she was talking about the weather. "I'm not the sole owner of Hotaru. Even if you kill me, the other owners will make you pay as well."

Kentaru groaned, only his mother would provoke the fat guy even more when he's pointing a weapon at her.

"Shut up!" Daimaru jerked her by the arm; he turned to the lawyer that was still in the room. "Write up a contract immediately, stating that everything I owed to Hotaru is cancelled and that Tenten is to marry me as soon as possible."

The lawyer wrote what Daimaru wanted and placed the piece of paper on the wooden table. He stepped away quickly, not wanting to get more involved than needed. The reason why he chose to become a lawyer instead of a shinobi is to avoid danger. Apparently, being here right now isn't helping.

Daimaru grabbed the contract and shoved to Tenten's face. "Sign it!"

The air around him was getting colder by the minute. It was as if the temperature of the room was dropping…which is impossible since it is already summer. Daimaru dismissed the thought by telling himself that his mind was playing tricks at him. It was probably caused by the nervousness he was feeling as he was threatening a person with a sharp weapon in front of a Hyuuga for the first time.

"I would." Tenten said as she eyed Daimaru, not bothering to even look at the piece of paper. "But it'll be polygamy."

"Why you—" The fat man was determined to show her who's boss. Therefore, he thrust the knife toward her throat.

_However, he couldn't move._

He was turned into a block of ice almost instantly.

Tenten slowly move aside, looking at the human popsicle that was once called Daimaru. To her, it was kind of pathetic, since he was forced to remain in the same position. She shook her head.

"**Looks like my husband said no."

* * *

**

Like it? Hate it? Please review because it really motivates me into writing!


	6. Her Dad Thinks

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

Eight pages in total…I think this is the longest chapter I'd ever done for this story…

The person who Tenten is referring to as her husband is NOT Neji…at least not at this moment

Haven't updated in awhile…did anybody miss me?

**The song that I was listening to as I was typing this up: ****张智成'****s ****末日之戀**

PS. REMEMBER THIS STORY IS **SLIGHTLY A/U**. THERE IS A REASON FOR IT BEING SO…

**Some Kind of Fairytale-ch5**

"What the hell is going on?" A voice that was familiar to Tenten's ears asked.

A figure emerged through the door.

The man was a bit stubby as a man; Neji was a head taller than him. He was wearing a simple grey haori and white hakama. Some of his hair had already turned white, giving his head a greyish colour. There were wrinkles engraved on his forehead, showing everyone that he was around his mid-forties. Right now, a confused look marked his face…

* * *

Osamu had been going around town trying to find someone who would participate in his latest project. He had been rejected for hours. Everyone laughed in his face and told him that he was a dreamer, that his 'Fisherman's Market' would never work. 

_Konoha is a shinobi village,_ they told him, _it's not like the Wave Country where Hotaru's situated. Konoha has no place for any large commercial companies like yours. You'll be better off if you just give up._

They couldn't see things in the same prospective as him; therefore, they failed to see Konoha's potential. Osamu sighed gravely, as he headed home, hoping that Ichiro had better luck than him. Just when he walked down the street toward his house, he heard someone asking behind him.

"So you're Asakura Osamu?"

Osamu froze when he heard it. The tone was taunting and rough, like the man behind him was just asking for a fight. Slowly, Osamu turned around…and his eyes widened at what he saw.

The man before him was muscular and lofty, being at least a head taller than himself. In some ways, the man reminded Osamu of Kakashi because he was also wearing a mask, it was just that this man's mask happened to be made out of bandages instead. The man wore a loose, short-sleeved black shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and two leather gloves that doesn't cover his fingers. Like the infamous Proud Beasts of Konoha, he had bandaged bounded from his fingers up to his elbows.

Suddenly, the man didn't seem to be tall anymore. In fact, he was like a giant that was towering him. His causal wear didn't match the atmosphere that he was emitting.

Osamu swallowed, "yes?"

He felt the man before him smiled, as if it was possible to tell with the man covering most of his face with bandages.

"I have a preposition for you..." He said in a low tone.

That man then offered to be his partner in the Fisherman's Market project, with the promise to help him pay his debt. The only condition was that his company gets half of the ownership of Fisherman's Market.

Although Osamu didn't like the idea of giving part of his precious project up, he knew that it was the only asset he could offer at this moment. Therefore, Osamu agreed.

Yet, Osamu couldn't help but to wonder. It takes a lot of money to pay his debt and, at the same time, the construction fee. This offer worked more in his favour than the other man. Now why would anyone be willing to suggest such a non-profit preposition?

When he asked the bandaged man, the man merely shrugged. As he walked away, however, he heard the man muttering something about a damn woman and Hotaru.

Osamu looked at the large man until he disappeared, wondering what the bandaged man has with the largest company in the Water Country. The older man sighed as he turned back around and headed home.

Since the contract was to be sighed several days later, there was nothing Osamu could do beforehand. Although he was suspicious about what the bandaged man told him, he was the only thing Osamu can depend on right now. Therefore, he had to gamble, hoping that the man wasn't toying with him. Osamu wasn't worried that Ichiro would duplicate the deal if he'd found a potential sponsor, after all, Osamu was the only who could give a final go in everything. Therefore, if Ichiro really found one, he would have to report back to him first.

All Osamu needed to do now was to send one of his servants to look for Ichiro and call him back.

With that thought in mind, Osamu picked up his pace to head home…and into another problem.

Standing in front of his house, Osamu found that his house no longer has a front door. Not only that, he saw men he didn't know moved back and forth, going in and out of his house. Looking at his right, he saw men jumping into the cart and coming back out with stuff that looked oddly familiar to him. A few men looked at him, giving him a dirty glare before heading back into the Asakura complex. At that time, Osamu had no idea where the silent hatred directed at him was coming from. After all, it wasn't _him_ who gave them the bruises on their faces and body.

Osamu saw a young woman sitting at the front side of the cart. She was in a comfortable position, Osamu supposed, since her legs were dangling on the side while her right hand was playing with a senbon nonchalantly. Currently, she wasn't looking at him though, as she was focusing on the men who were moving things back into the house.

Osamu didn't watch her for long; eager to go back into his house to find out what is going on.

"Ohayo, Mr. Asakura." Osamu heard a soft voice said behind him.

Osamu stopped and turned around, only to see a young woman who had been sitting on the cart stood before him. Her close proximity allowed him to have a closer observation of her. She was only in her mid-twenties, not a wrinkle was on her face.

If Osamu was to describe her, he would say the woman was a kunoichi. If she wasn't, then she certainly had what it takes to become one. In a sad way, she reminded him of Tenten, with a piece of white cloth wrapped around her long hair at the back into a bun fashion which was tied up by a blue beaded string. Her long bangs trailed to the bottom of her jaw line and were then secured into a low ponytail on both sides, giving her more feminine quality.

An indigo haori, which was trimmed with a band of white, hung onto her body loosely, allowing Isamu to see the olive green wool turtleneck top she was wearing underneath it. The top was matched by the sash which wrapped around her waist. It was a hot day yet the young woman was still wearing long sleeves, the long black hakama she had on did nothing to relieve her situation. The woman was lean and well-built; however, unlike other female, the clothes she was wearing was androgynous; therefore, they didn't protrude her femininity.

Come to think of it, so was her voice. It was too gentle to be a male but too low to be a female…

The woman, who (obviously) didn't know what was going through Osamu's head, continued when she had his attention. "Daimaru had ordered his men to take your properties away. Luckily, the cart weren't gone for too long so I was able to retrieve it quickly. They are putting your stuff back to where they originally were right now. I apologize for the inconvenience caused."

"No," Osamu said quickly once he realized what the woman did for him. "I thank you."

"I'm just following orders Mr. Asakura. You don't have to thank me." The young woman gave a small smile. She was about to say something when a loud commotion was heard from inside the household. She muttered a small apology to him as she ran through the doorway (which no longer has a door). She disappeared down the path which leads to the living room.

Osamu entered the Asakura complex right after her; however, he wasn't quick enough to catch up to the young woman. He ran toward the living room and the sound of quarrel got louder and louder when all of a sudden, there was silence.

Osamu did a double-take as he stood before the doorway of the living room, slightly out of breath. Osamu notice a few people he didn't know or associate with stood around the room. He was starting to be concerned with Daimaru, with the man being turned to an ice cube…However the woman…who stood beside Daimaru, whose back was facing him soon took all his attention…

* * *

Tenten took a deep breath before turning to the man who was standing at the entrance of the living room. 

The man was her father.

The two looked at each other.

"Father." She could almost be described as rushing up to him, Daimaru long forgotten. She wanted to give him a hug but froze on her spot when she remembered how her father and she had ended up on their last encounter. Tenten opened her mouths a few times, before she was finally able to get back her voice.

"I…I came back and saw what Daimaru was doing and so…" Tenten said uneasily as she fidgeted the end of her blue top. She found herself, for the first time in years, too nervous to continue speaking.

"Ten…Tenten…" Osamu surprised her by pulling her close to a hug. Tenten could feel his body shaking slightly. His voice was hoarser than before. "You…you came back…"

Tenten could feel a tingling feeling at her eyes. She bit her lower lip, trying to keep herself from being too emotional. She supposed that she had to thank the long years of living alone and the stubborn part inside her to prevent her from breaking down and crying soundly right there. In response to her father, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder, something that she would do when ever she was still young.

There was a time she considered her father as her world. He seemed invincible to her when he was able to answer all her inquiries. Every day when he came home from work, she would talk enthusiastically to him as to what a great day it was for her…Of course, there were times when she ran up to him crying as to what torments she'd went through. When that happens, he would wrap his arms around her and let her cry her heart out. She, in return, would rest her chin on his shoulder as she sobbed.

_It was so long ago…_

Slowly, the father and daughter pulled away from each other. Tenten was about to say something when she felt someone tucking her leg.

The person was Kentaru.

Her father's focus immediately turned to the six years old next to her who could barely reach her waist. "Who's the Hyuuga kid?"

"He's your grandson, Kentaru." Tenten said, smiling slightly as she pulled Kentaru closer to her.

Osamu looked at her for a moment before turning to Neji who stood at the back not far away from her. He nodded approvingly. "You have made a wonderful choice."

Tenten turned her head, following her father's line of vision.

"Hm…" She started. "Actually, _he_ is my husband."

She pointed at someone behind him.

Osamu turned around,

The first thought that came to Osamu's mind was that the 'he' Tenten was referred to was the 'she' who he saw at the front of his house just now.

His second thought was that this 'he' even looked more feminine than his daughter.

His third thought was…

Osamu blinked.

He stole a glance at Kentaru, it was obvious that the kid was (still) a Hyuuga. He then turned to Neji who was at the back (a Hyuuga). Osamu began to sweat when he looked back at the feminine man in front of him (not a Hyuuga).

He turned to his daughter.

It was only then did he seem to register that Tenten had a child…that he was actually a grandfather of not just any kid but a Hyuuga. Then it became extremely obvious that the reason why Neji was even here was because he's Kentaru's father. Yet…Tenten had just presented another man to him as her husband…not just any man but a man who looked like a woman…

_My god...my daughter is not...she's not...a les...right?_

"His name is Haku." Tenten continued, never once notice the cold sweat that was starting to build on her father's forehead.

This, of course, was not heard by Osamu whose mind was suffering information overload.

Thus, Osamu fainted.

* * *

Haku caught Osamu before he hit the ground. Her husband looked at Tenten and shook his head. 

"Damn it." Tenten cursed in frustration. "What did I do wrong now? How can we have a warm, sappy reunion that is supposed to bring tears to every soap opera lovers' eyes when he forgives me?"

"I told you that this is a bad idea." A male voice was heard as a something black could be seen dashing into the living room after jumping over the wall that had surrounded the parameter.

"Shut up Zabuza." Tenten narrowed her eyes at the tall man, who somehow was able to smoke a cigar even though he had bandages wrapped around his face.

Zabuza shrugged indifferently as he held the cigar with his thumb, forefinger and middle finger. "Anybody who's able to think rationally would know that this won't work. You came back, became rich, had a son, married my boy who's not Kentaru's actual father and then has the kid's actual father here in the room when you introduce my boy. I say that's a pretty powerful blow…

"To him." Zabuza finished as he pointed to the unconscious man. He put the cigar back into his mouth while taking a drag, only to blow all the smoke in Tenten's face.

_If only Zabuza knew what had actually made Osamu fainted… _

"Yet you didn't drop dead." Tenten said dryly. She waved several times, trying to dampen down the scent of the cigar. Zabuza was doing it on purpose. He knew how she hated people smoking in front of her!

"I tend to have a stronger heart than most people, my dear _daughter-in-law_." With the cigar dangling at the corner of his mouth, Zabuza said the sentence with equal menace.

Tenten sighed, not in the mood to continue the bicker. She pulled out the hairpin out, allowing her hair to come down into a ponytail. She turned to Junko, "I supposed that my father still lives in the same room as before right?"

When she saw the woman nodded, Tenten led Haku down the hall as he continued to carry her father. Pushing the two shoji screen doors open, she let Haku in and watched as Haku set her father down gently on the futon. After pulling the covers over her father, the pair exited Osamu's bedroom as Tenten slid the screen doors closed behind her.

On their way back toward the living room, she smiled weakly at her husband. "So much for everything working out well huh?"

* * *

The pair arrived at the living room in no time. Through the opened shoji door, Tenten saw Junko talking to her husband at a distance near the garden; the pair looked at her when they felt someone watching them. Ichiro smiled and gave a small wave in her direction while Junko gave an uneasy smile. Then the pair walked off to the side, disappearing behind a wall. Only then, Tenten look back at the people at the room, who were all sitting around the wooden table. 

Her son was pouring tea for Zabuza, who was currently using one of the tea cups as an ashtray. Shikamaru and Temari were chatting with Neji as they all sat on the opposite side of Zabuza and Kentaru. Izumi was lying on the ground at the side, her eyes were closed but Tenten saw her opening one of her eyes as she tried to trip Kentaru when he was leaving the room to get more water for the tea kettle.

All of Tenten's friends were looking at her when they saw her at the entrance of the room. From their eyes, Tenten knew that they were worried about her…even Zabuza too when he wasn't trying to get on her nerves. After all, they all came back to Konoha with her. The care she got from them caused her to smile.

She nodded at Neji, acknowledging his presence. The Hyuuga nodded in return. Although she didn't know the man personally, she had to applaud him for his patience and his stableness for being able to remain unfazed by what had happened. It was almost as if he was used to watching a greedy Daimaru showing up at the Asakura household, asking for money and her arriving at the scene to turn the situation upside down, which then resulted with Daimaru being turned into a block of ice. As a man who found out he'd fathered a child and that the woman who'd carried his child was marry at the same day; he was awfully calm.

Who would've known? Neji might not be a bad choice of a friend after all.

"Alright." Tenten started as she clasped her hands together. She looked at Daimaru, who was still trapped in Haku's ice prison. "First thing's first. Let's get back to business."

* * *

Love it? Hate it? Please review because it'll get me motivated to write! 

Why did I put Haku here? (the male version too!)  
Why did I put Zabuza here?  
Who the hell were Team 7 fighting against at the Wave Country now that the two men didn't die?

_I don't know…read more to find out lol_

I apologize for the bad grammar…I haven't been using English other than reading or writing fanfiction for the past few months.


	7. Knowledge

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

About damn time I update, it'd been almost been a year. So in compensation, this is the longest chapter I'd ever written for this story. Hope you guys will like it.

This chapter is dedicated to: Sunshine-Peak, Cearo Dameer, windborne, False-Image, MOVEDAWAY, Far-Fetched Imagineer, dreaming.sapphire, little wolf blossom, Mishca no Xandra, soulcollector, HimeHikari, Lady Snow Blood, Kodoku, Selina, boredathome, icekaia, Payday, MisSs005, moonlightpath, AznPuffyHair

**Some Kind of Fairytale-ch6**

(The Next Morning)

Osamu woke up with sweat on his forehead. He'd the strangest dream…regarding his daughter, her son…and her husband who turned out to be a woman. Yet he couldn't help but to hold onto that dream, like a man who was trying to stay afloat by grabbing onto a weak branch, he wanted to keep his hopes up to believe that his daughter did come back. Immediately, Osamu pulled the blanket off of him and headed toward the door when the shoji doors slid open.

A head poked into the room.

The person was Tenten.

Her eyes widened for a moment as she gave an awkward smile. "I…I brought these…"

She raised her hands, showing him the tray she was holding. It consisted of a toothbrush, toothpaste, a large cup of cold water, a towel, and a wooden bucket. She set the tray down as she popped the cap of the toothpaste and squeezed some of the content onto the toothbrush. She handed it to him along with the cup of clean water. She stepped back, giving her father some room to do his daily activities.

Osamu gave her a look and started brushing his teeth.

As her father was cleaning his teeth, Tenten twisting the sleeves of her robe as she pressed her lips together. She would've walked back and forth across her father's room too if it weren't for the fact that it would cause her father's attention to focus on her.

Okay, he accepted her truce gesture…What should she do next? What should she say? Should she just say she's sorry and hope her father will forget her? What was she suppose to do? Her friends had given her a thumbs-up, urging her to explain her circumstances to her father in hopes that he would put himself into her shoes before kicking her out of the house…After all, she did step out of the house after he'd given her the ultimatum…

Shit…She would rather talk Ebenezer Scrooge into a business agreement than to be here…

Shit-shit-shit…

"Tenten?"

Snapping back into reality, she realized that her father was done and she'd blanked out. Giving her father a reassuring smile, she slowly placed the items back onto the tray. If one was to look at her closely, one could see that her hands were slightly shaking and she was biting her lower lips.

If she is to start apologizing, this would be the time…Tenten swallowed, feeling her father's glaze on her. A part of her wanted to grab everything and just bolt, another part of her wanted to remain silent and hope that her father would initiate the conversation.

Unknown to Tenten, Osamu couldn't help but to chuckle as he observed his daughter before her.

She'd really grown; maturity was evident on her face. Her hair had clearly reached below her waist since she'd yet to tie it up. Her skin tone was darker than he'd remembered, probably from exposure to the sun. However, yet, there were traces of the same old seventeen year old Tenten within her.

Like now.

Tenten still wore her heart on her face, showing him all the information he needed to know what she was thinking. Smiling even wider, Osamu sat on the bed while patting the empty space beside him, motioning Tenten to come over and sit down.

The routine of Tenten bring his cleaning supplies to his room was something they'd done ever since she was a girl. It was their way of calling a truce.

Osamu could still remember well when Tenten was merely a child. She'd broken one of his favourite vases. She cried as she asked him to forgive her. He told her that the only condition he would forgive her was that she would bring him his cleaning supplies on the very next morning so that he doesn't have to walk all the way to the other side of the house to brush his teeth. Ever since then, she would automatically do it after she'd done something wrong.

Looking at Tenten for a minute longer, Osamu started. "You'd grown into a beautiful young woman, Tenten…"

Suddenly it saddened him that he wasn't there to watch his child grow up…that he wasn't with her for the past years. Yet, he was glad the way Tenten had turned out.

Tenten looked startled for a moment, like she wasn't expecting her father to say something like this. "Aren't….aren't you angry about the things I did?"

"You are my daughter, my only daughter…I can't stay angry at you…" Osamu sighed softly. After a moment of thought, he added, "well…at least not for long."

"Why…why didn't you go look for me?" Tenten blurted out, sounded like she was about to cry. It was a question that had been at the back of her mind for a long time. She remembered the countless nights she'd cried because of the guilt she'd felt for what she done and the hurt she'd felt when her father didn't come to find her.

Osamu stared at the opened shoji door which was giving him a full view of the side garden, lost in his own thoughts. Flowers of different kinds were seen, decorating the garden with many colours. Birds chirped loudly, declaring their presence.

"I know I am not the best father in the world…You must've thought that I'm a slave for money, always working late into the night neglecting you. But I'd always considered myself as an understanding person. When you were yelling and screaming at me at the idea of a proposed marriage, I thought you were just throwing a tantrum…like the time when I'd forced you to attend a civilian school rather than the Academy for Shinobi. I thought you would get over it once you let the facts sink in.

"That night…was a wake up call for me. The decision you'd made…was one of the worse ideas you could possibly make. Yet, the way how you would rather take things to that extend than to come and talk to me properly…made me realize how far we'd drifted apart ever since your mother's death. Instead of having me trying to drag you home all the time. I wanted you to come back willingly. I suppose I wanted to see how strong our relationship is…"

Suddenly, it was as if Osamu had aged ten years before Tenten's eyes. He sounded tired, and had the looks to prove it. Tenten noticed there were wrinkles on his face that didn't exist before and hair that turned white where it was black previously. She had seen the subtle changes before but hadn't thought too much about it…Now; it was like an acknowledgement that her father was getting old…that she may lose him forever if she doesn't hold onto what she has now.

Of all these times, all she cared about was why nobody _came_ to her…she'd never thought once about the people who she'd left _behind_.

The time that had lost between them…

Tenten turned away.

"That night…" Osamu continued, "I said some hurtful things to you that I didn't…"

Tenten hugged her father, unable to suppress her tears. "I wanted to come back but I thought you didn't want me anymore. Then I thought if I'd something accomplished, then you'll be proud of me and forgive me…I'm so sorry."

Osamu wanted to say something to comfort her but only to find that he couldn't find the right words. Instead, he just slowly stroked his daughter in the back back,

"Sorry." She said after a moment, sniffing as she wiped away her tears. She rested her head on her father's left shoulder as he gently patted her in the head.

"I was blinded by guilt." Osamu explained to Tenten. "Your mother was originally engaged to Daimaru. It was a decision made by her parents and she agreed to it. However, everything changed when she met me. We fell in love. Although her parents had never truly approved of me, your mother and I got married anyway. From then on, I worked hard, trying to accomplish something so that I can finally look at her parents with confidence. I supposed that was when I started to neglect your mother. I'd always thought that she'll be with me, that once I become rich, I'll have all the time in the world to be with her…I was wrong." Osamu said with regret, shaking his head. "I couldn't help but to wonder would her life be better if she married Daimaru instead."

Tenten snorted, "she'll probably become his third wife."

She then filled him in as to what had happened in the living room during his absence, after she got Haku to 'defrost' Daimaru.

Osamu shook his head when she finished, "Daimaru wasn't married at that time. He loved her very much…I saw the anger in his eyes when he realized that your mother loved me more than him. He must've seen her in you Tenten. Therefore, I couldn't refuse him when he asked me to let him marry you. I denied him of his true love already…I just don't have the heart to do it again.

_He probably just doesn't like to lose so he was angry that he didn't get mom…_Tenten thought darkly. With the reports she'd gotten about him and his infidel activities, she doubted faithfulness and honesty were words in his dictionary. Besides, she was almost positive that she'd seen dollar signs appearing in Daimaru's eyes once he realized she was one of the owners of Hotaru.

Yea, she admitted that she (maybe) was being prejudice, but she hated him. That bastard…

However, she didn't voice her opinion of him to her father.

Osamu moved away from Tenten. "I know that it's wrong from the very beginning but I don't know what else I could've done to make it up to him and…"

"Father, I really think you'd done more than enough." Tenten sighed softly. She knew how her father had basically supported Daimaru's company, helping him with his debts and stuff.

_Daimaru used the guilt-tactic to manipulate her father._

She wondered why a genius like her father wasn't able to see the truth. But then again, even if he had, her father wouldn't have stopped helping Daimaru. That was just the person her father is, no matter what he'd done, he would take full responsibility of the action even when it wasn't technically his entire fault.

Tenten gave a quiet sigh and considered her options. Then Tenten sat up, no longer leaning onto her father's shoulder. With a determined look, which Osamu had never seen before, on her face, she declared, "I'll drop all charges that I had held against him. If he's willing to negotiate with me once more…"

"Thank you Tenten." Osamu held her by the hand. "I'm sorry that…"

"Stop apologizing." Tenten smiled genuinely. "We both did something wrong so now we are even. Come on, let's go to get some breakfast."

"Ah yes." Osamu agreed. "Let's go see that son and that _husband_ of yours. It's time to properly introduce ourselves to each other once more. I hardly think that their impressions of me are good."

Unconsciously, he emphasized on the 'husband'. Deep down, Osamu knew that he wanted his daughter to find a good (male) husband. However, before he starts screaming and yelling, he supposed he should find out the whole situation first. He would take a step at a time.

Right now, he was content that his daughter was by his side. He wouldn't admit it publicly but it just wasn't the same when she was gone…

_God how he'd missed her._

"Dad." Tenten called out to him.

He stopped and faced her.

"Haku…hm…actually…"Tenten started.

"She's not your husband?" Osamu said jokingly, secretly hoping that what he'd said was true.

For a moment, she wondered if her father was really joking or there was some half-truth hidden in it.

"Actually…**he's** not." Tenten stated truthfully, emphasising the gender of her friend just for safe measures. When she saw the questioning look on her father's face she explained. "I…I just thought that it'll be easier for you to accept Kentaru if I'm married to a **man**…"

Osamu looked at her, not knowing whether he should start laughing or start crying and praying to the heavens above.

He settled with shaking his head.

_This daughter of his…_

He cleared his throat, "allow me to rephrase. Let's go see my grandson and that fine young man."

"…Actually…he's..."

* * *

"**YOU BLEW UP HALF OF THE GARDEN!" Tenten shrieked at Haku, who now ducked behind Kentaro like the kid was some bullet-proof, god-enforced shield.**

"You see…I was experimenting this jutsu…" Haku tried to explain to the enraged Tenten as he pulled Kentaru to his right, effectively blocking Tenten from charging at him.

"DO I LOOK LIKE I FUCKING CARE ABOUT YOUR EXPLANATION!" Tenten screamed at him as she tried to make her way toward him once again so she could strangle him.

"Oba-chan, if you continue to shouting at him like this, all your wrinkles will show." Zabuza commented to Tenten as she gave him a foul look. He, in return, gave her a smug look as he stabbed his cigar into a small Japanese tea cup as a makeshift ashtray. He was currently comfortably sitting on the wooden platform that surrounded the house along with Temari and her family where they were all enjoying tea. (A/N: Traditional Japanese houses were built off the ground, where a wooden platform outside of the house served as a hallway.) They had been there since the beginning, watching Haku as he tried to demonstrate his latest jutsu—Ice Avalanche—which was supposedly soundless."

From the name of the technique, one should be able to tell that it wasn't one of those jutsu that should be shown within a constricted parameter, but oh well.

As Shikamaru and Izumi had put it, the training ground was just too damn far away.

In Temari and Zabuza's case, they both had agreed that the garden needed to be remodelled anyway.

_It was too perfect for their taste._

Temari laughed and Izumi cheered as Kentaro made a grand escape from Haku (and his mother) and headed toward them, leaving the poor Haku to face Monster Tenten alone.

Normally, he would stay with Uncle Haku, hoping that he could calm his mother down…but when she's like this…Kentaro shuddered. Uncle Haku is on his own.

"_Actually, father." Tenten said as they made their way toward the kitchen for breakfast. "Haku is a jutsu-loving freak, always coming up with these crazy techniques. One time, he demolished the whole house by accident, forcing us to…"_

_Tenten broke off when she felt the ground shook slightly. She took off running toward the Back Garden (which was at the back of the house of course) and the wooden shack was (once) situated._

"_HAKU YOU BASTARD!"_

When Tenten finally got her hands around Haku's neck, Haku waved his hands frantically in hopes that anyone would come and save him.

**Of course, as everyone had expected…**

Nobody did.

Osamu silently mourned as he watched the scene in front of him. Trees were overturned and flowers were uprooted. The once beautiful garden was now nothing more than a muddy marsh area with useless plant lives.

However, Osamu was silently thankful for one thing.

Thank god that he didn't tell these crazy people (not his daughter and his grandson of course) to stay with him instead of living elsewhere.

After hearing that Tenten had gotten other house, he had wanted her to stay with him instead. However, it wouldn't have been proper for him to ask her stay while ignoring her friends…but now…

The house was too small to accommodate more than two people anyway.

By now, Haku's face had almost gone all red.

"Um…Ano…" A small female voice started.

That pretty much stopped the chaos. Tenten (reluctantly she might add) let go of Haku as he went into a coughing fit while everyone else turned to face the woman.

Everyone, beside Tenten and the kids, had been aware that there were two people invading their house from the very moment they stepped in. However, due to the fact that these people didn't try to hide their presence, they let the two people come toward them.

Haku, in his struggle for air and away from Tenten, had shifted his body so that he and Tenten were standing sideways to the hallway where the two people were expected to show up. It allowed him to have a clear view of the hallway. If anything bad happens, he would be able to protect Tenten. (By now, one should've realized that for a shinobi as strong as Haku, what Tenten was doing was not going to kill him. Hell, if he wanted, he could probably be able to hold his breath for two hours! He was just going along with it to diminish Tenten's fury. After all, he did make a mistake. Tenten know this as well, so they are just kind of playing around.)

When everyone saw the two intruders, Temari relaxed her hold on her metallic fan and Shikamaru went back to cloud-watching, totally believing that the two were not dangerous.

"Hey Naruto, Hinata." Temari said a casual hello as Shikamaru gave a lazy wave to the two.

Naruto didn't know what to make of the scene before him. The Back Garden was basically trashed. It looked as if a tornado had blown through the place. The shack, or what was left of it…Naruto prayed that nobody was in it as now wood laid scattered across everywhere. Turning back to the two people that was standing in the 'garden', it seemed that a crime scene was about to be created. Tenten had her hands was wrapped around a man's neck tightly…The long-haired man was making strangulated noises but stopped once Hinata-chan had made her presence known.

"What the hell da ya want?" Zabuza asked roughly as he put a new cigar into his mouth, watching the woman and the man next to her closely. He, on the other hand, had not been in Konoha before. He was going to be as careful as possible before categorizing them as 'harmless'.

"Gemen-nasai for the interruption," Hinata recovered and gave a slight bow before declaring her purpose. "I'm here because Hiashi-sama wanted to see Asakura-san immediately.

Everyone turned to Tenten who nodded in return.

She walked up toward the pair as Kentaro pulled her gently by her pants. She gave him a reassuring smile as she kneeled down. "I'm not going to be gone for long. I'll be back before you know it."

She followed Hinata and Naruto walked behind her as they all made their way toward the Hyuuga mansion. However, after a few steps, she paused. She twirled around.

Tenten took a look at Shikamaru, who was lying on the wooden floor, and Temari, who was smirking at her, before shaking her head. Since she was no Temari, it would be impossible for her to get Shikamaru to do anything he doesn't want. As for Temari…let's just say Tenten didn't want her historical Asakura mansion, which had been past down from generations after generations, to be torn to shreds.

Therefore, Tenten settled for glaring menacingly at Haku and Zabuza, "When I come back, the garden better be restored."

Haku nodded, almost too eagerly while Zabuza 'hmph-ed' as he continued to smoke.

Satisfied, she went up to Hinata, who stopped to wait for her, before continuing their way. Therefore, she didn't realize what was going on behind her back.

All the shinobis in the house was looking at him.

Naruto gulped as he gave the group a nod before following the two ladies out the front door. The atmosphere seemed light but Naruto knew that if he doesn't make it a personal responsibility to keep Asakura Tenten safe, he would be one dead man walking.

Asakura Tenten seemed to be an enigma. He couldn't figure out what caused her to have the ability to order Haku and Zabuza, the once S-class criminals, around; nor how she was able to hook up with Shikamaru and Temari, the once most promising shinobis who had almost became missing-nins as they abandoned their villages for love. Not to mention, how she was able to be impregnated by **Hyuuga** Neji…

Naruto thought back to the conversation he had with the Hyuuga Prodigy…

* * *

(Flashback)

After the fat man, Daimaru, had been taken by the Konoha police. Neji decided it was the time to leave. After all, 'if those three little birds don't fly off soon' as Zabuza had nicely put it, 'he'll have to wring their cute little necks'. Besides, Neji had to go home soon before there was a Hyuuga marching band formed for the purpose of hunting him down.

"Hey Neji," Naruto called out as he jumped down from a tree that was beside the road. It was obvious that he had been camping there, waiting for him to come out.

Kiba appeared as well, right after Naruto's declaration.

"Yo bro." Kiba said as Lee gave Neji a nice-guy post; his teeth twinkled brightly under the moon.

Neji had the urge to roll his eyes as Kiba and Naruto hung their arms over his shoulders.

"You sly dog, you." Kiba said as he punched Neji playfully in the shoulder. "Who would've thought that you already have a kid this old?"

"Yea, Yea." Naruto agreed enthusiastically. "I mean, you never eyed any girl whenever there was female around. You had us worried that you were...hmph!"

His speech was halted as Kiba quickly let go of Neji to cover Naruto's mouth.

But poor Kiba only had two hands…

"Don't worry Neji." Lee exclaimed as tears poured down his face. "Even if your flame of love burned brightly for the wrong person, you'll still have the support of the Proud Beast of Konoha!"

It seemed even Lee noticed that although Kentaro was his son, Tenten and him weren't married. (Simply because if Neji was indeed married, the whole village would've known about it, not to mention, the three men didn't miss the part where Tenten had declare Haku as her husband. After all, they had been spying…er…_camping_ on the tree outside of the Asakura mansion. Hinata had wisely decided to stay at home since this could result in a Hyuuga uproar. In other words, she _totally_ doesn't know what was going on. She was oblivious.

"_What…Neji-ni-san has a son?" Hinata questioned, her hands covering her mouth in complete innocence. "I would've never guessed!"_

Understand what role she's playing? She was at home stalling for time so that Neji could do what he needs to do before facing the family.)

Neji started at Lee for a moment, not his usual 'are-you-simply-out-of-your-mind' but a stoic look. As people who knew him well knows, as his face became more and more emotionless, his temper would get worse and worse (they work in positive correlation really).

Kiba sighed as he let go of Naruto. He rolled his sleeves up in preparation.

They were all going to get a beating. No way would Neji let them get away with this hands-clean. The only thing he hoped now was not to get his clothes _too_ dirty; his wife will kill him if they were…literally.

Even Naruto's face turned slightly serious with the tension in the air. He knew that Neji would not kill them, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try inflicting bodily pain on them.

Only Lee seemed oblivious of it still. "But that child of hers, I see a great potential young man! If he is to be trained under Gai-sensai, his flame will be unstoppable!"

Neji tilted his head slightly as if Lee had grown another head before answering.

"No."

With that Neji walked away.

Lee face-faulted for exactly one second (as if that was even possible for someone so energetic).

"But Neji…" Lee called after him but soon found his mouth covered by Kiba.

"Neji, why?" Naruto sped up, keeping in sync with the Hyuuga Prodigy's pace. "Even if you never really liked your family, you aren't someone who would disgrace your family name. You never hit me as the one-night-stand type of guy. So, why would you…"

Naruto trailed off as Neji stopped walking beside him.

Neji sighed quietly; looking at Naruto before answering.

"_I'd always known her."

* * *

_

WELL THIS IS THE END OF THIS CHAPTER. LIKE IT? HATE IT? PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF IT! I'LL GET MORE MOTIVATED TO WRITE IF YOU GUYS REVIEW!


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